Faced with high prices of pulses, the Centre today hiked the support price to farmers for masoor and gram dals sharply by Rs 250 a quintal each to boost production in the ongoing rabi season and reduce dependency on imports.

Apart from raising the minimum support price (MSP) of pulses, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved a bonus of Rs 75 per quintal for gram and masoor dals over and above the support price.